Electronic needle selecting means for circular knitting machines

ABSTRACT

Electronic means for selective raising of the needles in circular knitting machines by selective raising of jacks individually related to the needles in the cylinder needle slots, alternate ones only of the jacks are selectively raised by the action of a first selectively pulsed electromagnet while intervening ones only of the jacks are selectively raised by the action of a second electromagnet which is also selectively pulsed, the alternate and intervening jacks having pole contactor butts at a pair of vertically spaced separate levels with alternately pulsed electromagnets disposed at each of the separate levels to act only upon the contactor butts at that level. A jack aligning cam rocks all the jacks to bring their upper end butts in the path of a jack raising cam, magnetic means then holds the jacks in this position, then the force of the magnetic means is weakened to allow the electromagnetic means to rock selected jacks out of jack raising position, and then the magnetic means is strengthened to retain the non-selected jacks in their original position so that only the non-selected needles are raised by the jack raising cam.

United States Patent [191 Sawazaki [451 Nov. 18, 1975 [75] Inventor: Masatoshi Sawazaki, Kobe, Japan [73] Assignee: Precision Fukuhara Works, Ltd.,

Kobe, Japan 22 Filed: Nov.14, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 415,761

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 8, 1973 Japan 48-050864 [52] US. Cl 615/50 R [51] Int. Cl. D0413 15/78 [58] Field of Search 66/50 R, 75, 154 A, 25

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,025,462 12/1935 Lombardi 66/50 R 2.025.464 12/1935 Lombardi 66/50 R 3,262,285 7/1966 Beguin et al. 66/50 R 3,500,662 3/1970 Ribler 66/50 R 3,512,377 5/1970 Widdowson et al. 66/50 R 3,620,047 11/1971 Paepke 66/25 3,710,594 l/l973 Bourgeois 66/50 R 3,851,500 12/1974 Wlfshagen.... 66/50 R 3,863,465 2/1975 De Cerjat et a. 66/50 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,116,744 6/1968 United Kingdom 66/50 R 6/1969 7/1970 United Kingdom 66/50 R Primary Examiner-Wm. Carter Reynolds Attorney, Agent, or FirmNathan Levin [57] ABSTRACT Electronic means for selective raising of the needles in circular knitting machines by selective raising of jacks individually related to the needles in the cylinder needle slots, alternate ones only of the jacks are selectively raised by the action of a first selectively pulsed electromagnet while intervening ones only of the jacks are selectively raised by the action of a second electromagnet which is also selectively pulsed, the alternate and intervening jacks having pole contactor butts at a pair of vertically spaced separate levels with alternately pulsed electromagnets disposed at each of the separate levels to act only upon the contactor butts at that level. A jack aligning cam rocks all the jacks to bring their upper end butts in the path of a jack raising cam, magnetic means then holds the jacks in this position, then the force of the magnetic means is weakened to allow the electromagnetic means to rock selected jacks out of jack raising position, and then the magnetic means is strengthened to retain the nonselected jacks in their original position so that only the non-selected needles are raised by the jack raising cam.

Claims, 10 Drawing Figures United Kingdom 66/50 R US. Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet 2 of3 3,919,863

U.S.'Patent Nov. 18, 1975 Sheet30f3 3,919,863

ELECTRONIC NEEDLE SELECTING MEANS FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES The present invention relates generally to-the art of knitting and more particularly to improved electronic needle selecting meand for use upon circular knitting machines for the selective raising of the needles thereof. I

The electronic needle selecting means of the present invention is of the type wherein the selection is made upon jacks which transmit the selection to theneedles and.wherein the jacks are directly selected by electronic force.

The jacks are of the rocking type having a fulcrum butt intermediate their ends and having a raise butt at the upper ends of the jacks. Each of the jacks is also provided with an additional butt below its fulcrum butt, such additional butts being disposed at vertically spaced levels upon the alternate and the intervening ones of the jacks, and such additional butts serving as pole contactors for cooperation with the pole faces of a pair of vertically spaced control electromagnets by means of which the jacks are selected It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an electronic needle selecting means for a circular knitting machine wherein a first control electromagnet acts to make a selection among the alternate needles of the machine and wherein a second control electromagnet acts to make a selection among the intervening needles of the machine.

With the above and other objects in view which will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the prsent invention resides in the novel elements of construction and arrangement of parts of the electronic needle selecting means illustrated and as hereinafter particularly pointed out in the claims. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through the needle cylinder, the surrounding cam ring,.and the associated parts of a multi-feed circular knitting machine showing the needles and the needle selecting jacks of the prsent invention in the cylinder slots,

FIGS. 2a and 2b are side elevational views of the rocking jacks used in the present invention to selectively raise the needles, the jacks being provided with electromagnetic selector butts or extensions at two levels, the butts being the upper level on the jacks of FIG.

2a and being at the lower level on the jacks of FIG. 2b,

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of the cams, the electrostatic or permanent magnetic means,

itween the leveling cam and the lower permanent magnets upon the lower ends of jacks which are not selected by the electromagnets of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing the lower ends of jacks which have been selected by the control electromagnets of the present invention,

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 3 as taken on line 88 thereof showing the jack in position to be selected by the electromagnetic means of the present invention,

and 7 FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 showing the jack after it has been selected by the electromagnetic means of the present invention, as appears on line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

In the drawings, FIG. 1, the electronic needle selecting means of the present invention is shown in position at a feed of a multifeed circular knitting machine of the rotary cylinder type wherein the periphery ofa cylinder 1 is provided with a series of adjacent vertically extending parallel slots 2 within each of which is positioned a needle 3. Alternate ones of the needles are disposed above alternate jacks 4 while the intervening needles are disposed above intervening jacks 7, the jacks also being in the slots. The machine is provided with a nonrotating upper cam ring 31 and a lower cam ring 32, these cam rings serving to position the cams for operating the needles and jacks, and to position the electronic means for selecting the jacks and the needles.

The jacks 4 and 7, FIGS. 2a and 2b, extend lengthwise in the slots and are generally similar in having a butt 14 at their upper ends, a round nose butt l5 intermediate their lengths, and straight sided portions 11 at their lower ends, the jacks 4 and 7 not being similar in that they have butts 8 and 9 projecting therefrom at spaced levels, separate upper and lower levels respectively, between the butts l5 and the lower portions 11 of the jacks. Of the butts 14, 15, 8 and 9, all of which extend laterally in the same'direction, the butts 14 are raise butts by means of which designated ones of the jacks 4 and 7 are raised by a raise cam to raise the needles associated therewith, the butts 15 also serve as fulcrums about which the jacks 4 and 7 are adapted to be rocked, and the butts 8 and 9 are the upper and lower pole contactor butts by means of which the jacks 4 and 7 are to be selected by the electromagnetic means of the present invention.

In FIG. 3 is shown the cams, permanent magnets, and electromagnets of the present invention which act upon the jacks 4 and 7 to provide for a selection among the same at each feed of the machine, these parts being positioned upon the stationary cam rings 31, 32 of the machine. Raise cam 13 is provided with face 27 to engage butts 14 of selected jacks to raise the latter when they are positioned with their butts l4 projecting outwardly of the slots 2 and in the pathway of cam 13. Such jack raising also raises the needles associated therewith and the usual cams (not shown) thereafter act upon the so raised needles. The butts 15 travel in pathway 24 defined between cams 15a and 15b before the jacks are raised, the jacks being rockable about butts l5 acting as fulcrums within the pathway. Whenthe jacks are raised by cam 13, the pathway for butts 15 is discontinued to permit such raising and thereafter the jacks are lowered by the action of face 28 of cam 16 on butts 16 to place the jacks at a level wherein their butts 15 are at the level of pathway 24, for the next feed of the machine. An aligning or leveling cam 10, the contour of which is evident in FIGS. 7 and 6, is provided with inclined face 25 to act upon lower ends 11 of all the jacks to rock the latter about their butts I5 radially inwardly of the slots 2 within which they are positioned, such jack ends being bottommed in their slots by the action of face 26 of the cam. While cam 10 acts to rock those jacks inwardly which have been selectively moved out- 3 wardly at the previous feed, it will also make certain that the remaining jacks are also bottommed in their respective slots.

An upper permanent magnet 34, having spaced pole pieces 19, 20, is positioned so that the latter magnetically engages with the passing jack butts 14, the pole pieces havingcentrally disposed and vertically aligned notches 21 and 22 therein, respectively, at which the magnetic force. exerted by the pole pieces upon the butts 14 is weakened or attenuated. While the jack butts lose contact with pole piece 19 as they pass by its notch 21, they remain in contact with pole piece 20 as they pass by its notch 22. A pair of lower permanent magnets 18, 18a, spaced by a gap 23 which is vertically aligned with notches 21, 22, have the same contour as and are positioned below the central portion of cam 10, FIGS. 6 and 7, to act directly upon the lower portions 11 of the jacks as the latter move in the direction of the arrow past the cam and the magnets. It will be noted that gap 23 underlies the trailing portion of edge 26 of cam 10, and that the magnetic attraction between the jacks and the permanent magnets 34, 18 and 18a is weakened as they pass by notches 21, 22 and gap 23 of the magnets, the jacks losing contact with magnets 18 and 18a as they pass by gap 23.

A pair of upper and lower vertically aligned control electromagnets 5 and 6 are supported by the cam ring so that their north and south pole faces 29, 30, respectively, are in spaced vertical alignment with and are spaced across the aligned notches 21, 22 and gap 23 of the permanent magnets. The electromagnets are provided with coils 35 and 17 by means of which they are alternately selectively pulsed for desired jack and needle pattern selection by suitable programming means (not shown). Pole faces 29, 30 are located above cam at levels corresponding to butts 8 and 9 of the jacks, so that, FIG. 4, upper butts 8 of jacks 7, in passing thereby, are each adapted to two dimensionally contact both pole faces 29 of upper electromagnet 5 while, FIG. 5, lower butts 9 ofjacks 4, in passing thereby, are each adapted to similarly contact both poles faces of lower electromagnet 6.

In the operation of the machine, when there is no pulse selection given to the electromagnets 5, 6, the jacks 4, 7 approach each feed of the machine at a common level with their butts in pathway 24. Lower ends 11 of the jacks contact cam 10 and are pushed radially inwardly of the cylinder slots thereby rocking the jacks and moving their butts l4 radially outwardly where they'contact with and adhere to the pole pieces 19 and20 by magnetic force to stabilize the position of the jacks. The jacks ends 11 at this time adhere to magnet 18 while jack butts l4 adhere to the pole pieces of magnet 34 by magnetic force thereby balancing the jacks in position to be raised by cam 13. As the jacks move with the needle cylinder, they reach the place where nothces 21, 22 and gap 23 are aligned and in which the magnetic forces of the permanent magnets acting'upon the jacks are weakened. However, even though the jacks no longer contact pole piece 19 at notch 21 and are released from magnetism at gap 23 between magnets 18, 18a, still their butts 14 remain in contact with pole piece 20 at its notch 22 and this is sufficient to maintain the jacks in position to be raised by cam 13. After the jacks pass the notches 21, 22 and gap 23, the magnetism of pole piece 19 is added to the jacks which are then more strongly attracted towards magnet 34, and the lower ends 11 of the jacks remain in the bottom of the cylinder slots, FIG. 6, without being influenced by magnet 18a. As the cylinder co'ntinues its rotation, the jack butts 14 contact edge 27 of raise cam 13 and are raised thereby so that the upper edges 12 of the jack butts l4 engage with and accordingly raise the needles associated with the jacks. Jack butt 15 thereafter contact face 28 of cam 16 and the raised jacks are lowered thereby while the needles go through conventional knitting movements.

However, when selective'pulse currents are given to the control electromagnets, for example, to electromagnet 5, by the knitting pattern program device, just prior to the time that the jacks reach the place of alignment of notches 21, 22 and gap 23, and while the lower ends 11 of the jacks are bottommed in the cylinder slots by edge 26 of cam 10 (with butts 14 in contact with pole pieces 19, 20 and ends 11 in contact with magnet 18), the pole pieces 29 of pulsed electromagnet S attract the high butt pole contactors 8 ofjacks 7. Then as these jacks continue to pass by the aligned notches 21, 22 and gap 23 (with butts l4 adhering to pole piece 20) the magnetic force of pulsed pole pieces 29 overcomes the magnetic force of pole piece 20 and the jacks 7 rock upon their fulcrum butts 15 to assume the position shown in FIG. 9. As the jacks continue their movement the pole contactors 8 leave the pole pieces 29 and their lower ends 11 are attracted to the permanent magnet 18a and follow along edge 33 of cam 10 by reason of the attraction of magnet 18a, FIG. 7. Thus while the lower ends 11 are pulled out of the cylinder slots, the upper butts 14 are moved into the same so as to pass by cam 13 without being engaged and raised, so that their associated needles are not raised and remain at welt level. It will be understood that when pulse current is given to the other control electromagnet 6, the pole contactors 9 of alternate jacks 4 are similarly attracted by pole pieces 30 to cause selected ones of the jacks to also have their associated needles remain at welt level. It will also be understood that while FIG. 6 shows all the jacks as being in position to be raised and while FIG. 7 shows all the jacks as being in position not to be raised, the individual ones of the jacks need not be so disposed and the pulsing of the electromagnets according to the pattern program will determine which of the individual jacks are to be raised and which will not be raised. The electromagnets are alternately pulsed to select the jacks since the jacks 4 and 7 alternately reach the selection point of the machine.

In the present invention all of the jacks are held in balanced position by the magnetic attraction of upper magnet 34 and lower magnet 18, and in the event that no signal is given to either of the electromagnets, the upper magnet, acting through a weakened pole piece 20 (when the jacks are free from the magnetic attraction of magnet 18 and pole piece 19 of magnet 34) is sufficient to maintain the jacks in such position until pole piece 19 and the non-weakened portion of pole piece 20 add their magnetic attraction to the jacks to hold them in position to be raised by cam 13. When there are pulse signals to either or both of the electro magnets the magnetic attraction exerted thereby upon pole contactors 8 and 9 of selected jacks is sufficient to overcome the magnetic force of the weakened portion of pole piece thereby to rock the selected jacks so that their lower ends 11 move out of the cylinder slots into magnetic contact with and following along the face of cam 18a thereby to further rock the jacks so that butts 14 are moved inwardly out of the path of raise cam 13.

it will be noted that by reason of the use of two levels of pole contactors 8 and 9 on alternate and intervening jacks coupled with separate and alternately pulse selecting electromagnets and 6 disposed at two levels and vertically aligned, that the present invention pro vides twice as much allowance for individual needle selection in terms of both timeand of space as is provided in the prior art electronic selecting devices wherein all of the pole contactors of the jacks are at a common single level and wherein the selecting electromagnets, regardless of their number, are also at that common level, whereby needle selection of the present invention is more reliable, can be successfully used on machines of much finer guages, and upon machines operating at much higher speeds. While the jack pole contactors and the electromagnets are shown at a pair of levels, it will be understood that the invention is not so limited and that the parts may be arranged at three or more levels if so desired.

In the example of a 22 cut needle cylinder having 2,056 needles therein, the pitch distance between two adjacent needles is 1.2 mm in terms of distance. While conventional electronic selecting systems having their electromagnets at a common level to act upon butts at a common level are unable to make individual jack selections upon such a 22 cut machine within the pitch distance of 1.2 mm, the system of the present invention is able to do so with ease since, in effect, the jack selection is done by two separate systems of which one is for the alternate jacks while the other is for the intervening jacks with each system thus being able to make its selection in a needle pitch distance of 2.4 mm. In terms of time, assuming the machine to be rotating at a conventional speed of r.p.m., the selection of individual jacks by conventional electronic selection systems must be made within a time period of 1.4 milliseconds, whereas with the system of the present invention the selection of individual jacks by each of the electromagnets may be made within a time period of 2,8 milliseconds. It follows that there is a greater allowance for possible error and mis-alignment of parts in the present invention and that it can be successfully be used upon machines of finer guages and upon machines operating at higher speeds.

I claim:

1. An electronic needle selecting device for a circular knitting machine having a slotted needle cylinder and a circle of needles disposed in and independently movable lengthwise of said cylinder slots, a circle of jacks disposed in said cylinder slots below said needles and independently movable lengthwise of said slots to raise said needles, said jacks also being rockable in said cylinder slots about individual fulcrums intermediate their ends and having butts above their fulcrums, a jack raise cam to engage said jack butts to raise said jacks and said needles from a first to a second level, a jack aligning cam acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock the jacks so that their said butts are moved radially outwardly of said cylinder slots into the path of said jack raise cam, selectively pulsed electromagnetic means thereafter acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock selected ones of said jacks so that their butts are moved radially inwardly of said cylinder slots, said jack raise cam thereafter raising only those of said jacks which have not been so selected and rocked by said electromagnetic means, and permanent magnetic means adapted to exert force upon said jacks above ,and below their said fulcrums prior to, during and after 6 the selecting action of said electromagnetic means upon said jacks, said force acting upon all of said jacks above and below said fulcrums prior to said selecting action on said jacks to maintain the latter in the position to which they are rocked by said jack aligning cam.

2. Device as in claim '1 wherein the force exerted by said permanent magnetic means upon said jacks during said selecting action is less than the force being exerted thereon by said permanent magnetic means prior to said selecting action, whereby said selecting action by said electromagnetic means overcomes said lesser force being exerted upon said jacks as selected ones of the latter are rocked about their said fulcrums by said electromagnetic means.

3. Device as in claim 2 wherein the force exerted by said permanent magnetic means upon said jacks after said selecting action is greater than the force being exerted thereon by said permanent magnetic means during said selecting action, and wherein said greater force acts upon said selected jacks below their said fulcrums to rock the same so that their said butts are moved radially inwardly of said cylinder slots out of the path of said jack raise cam.

4. Device as in claim 2 wherein the force exerted by said permanent magnetic means upon said jacks after said selecting action is greater than the force being exerted thereon by said permanent magnetic means during said selecting action, and wherein said greater force acts upon those of said jacks which were not selected by said electromagnetic means to maintain the latter in the position to which they were rocked by said jack aligning cam, said greater force acting upon said nonselected jacks above their said fulcrums.

5. An electronic needle selecting device for a circular knitting machine having a slotted needle cylinder and a circle of needles disposed in and independently movable lengthwise of said cylinder slots, a circle of jacks disposed in said cylinder slots below said needles and independently movable lengthwise of said slots to raise said needles, said jacks also being rockable in said cylinder slots about individual fulcrums intermediate their ends and having butts above their fulcrums, a jack raise cam to engage said jack butts to raise said jacks and said needles from a first to a second level, ajack aligning cam acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock the jacks so that their said butts are moved radially outwardly of said cylinder slots into the path of said jack raise cam, and selectively pulsed electromagnetic means thereafter acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock selected ones of said jacks so that their butts are moved radially inwardly of said cylinder slots, said jack raise cam thereafter raising only those of said jacks which have not been so selected and rocked by said electromagnetic means, certain spaced ones of said jacks having radially extending selecting butts at a first level below their fulcrums while certain other spaced ones of said jacks have radially extending selecting butts at a second level below their fulcrums, said electromagnetic means comprising a first electromagnet acting solely upon said first level selecting butts to rock selected ones of said certain spaced jacks and also comprising a second electromagnet acting solely upon said second level selecting jack butts to rock selected ones of said certain other spaced jacks, said certain spaced jacks not having selecting butts at said second level and said certain other spaced jacks not having selecting butts at said first level. 

1. An electronic needle selecting device for a circular knitting machine having a slotted needle cylinder and a circle of needles disposed in and independently movable lengthwise of said cylinder slots, a circle of jacks disposed in said cylinder slots below said needles and independently movable lengthwise of said slots to raise said needles, said jacks also being rockable in said cylinder slots about individual fulcrums intermediate their ends and having butts above their fulcrums, a jack raise cam to engage said jack butts to raise said jacks and said needles from a first to a second level, a jack aligning cam acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock the jacks so that their said butts are moved radially outwardly of said cylinder slots into the path of said jack raise cam, selectively pulsed electromagnetic means thereafter acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock selected ones of said jacks so that their butts are moved radially inwardly of said cylinder slots, said jack raise cam thereafter raising only those of said jacks which have not been so selected and rocked by said electromagnetic means, and permanent magnetic means adapted to exert force upon said jacks above and below their said fulcrums prior to, during and after the selecting action of said electromagnetic means upon said jacks, said force acting upon all of said jacks above and below said fulcrums prior to said selecting action on said jacks to maintain the latter in the position to which they are rocked by said jack aligning cam.
 2. Device as in claim 1 wherein the force exerted by said permanent magnetic means upon said jacks during said selecting action is less than the force being exerted thereon by said permanent magnetic means prior to said selecting action, whereby said selecting action by said electromagnetic means overcomes said lesser force being exerted upon said jacks as selected ones of the latter are rocked about their said fulcrums by said electromagnetic means.
 3. Device as in claim 2 wherein the force exerted by said permanent magnetic means upon said jacks after said selecting action is greater than the force being exerted thereon by said permanent magnetic means during said selecting action, and wherein said greater force acts upon said selected jacks below their said fulcrums to rock the same so that their said butts are moved radially inwardly of said cylinder slots out of the path of said jack raise cam.
 4. Device as in claim 2 wherein the force exerted by said permanent magnetic means upon said jacks after said selecting action is greater than the force being exerted thereon by said permanent magnetic means during said selecting action, and wherein said greater force acts upon those of said jacks which were not selected by said electromagnetic means to maintain the latter in the position to which they were rocked by said jack aligning cam, said greater force acting upon said non-selected jacks above their said fulcrums.
 5. An electronic needle selecting device for a circular knitting machine having a slotted needle cylinder and a circle of needles disposed in and independently movable lengthwise of said cylinder slots, a circle of jacks disposed in said cylinder slots below said needles and independently movable lengthwise of said slots to raise said needles, said jacks also being rockable in said cylinder slots about individual fulcrums intermediate their ends and having butts above their fulcrums, a jack raise cam to engage said jack butts to raise said jacks and said needles from a first to a second level, a jack aligning cam acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock the jacks so that their said butts are moved radially outwardly of said cylinder slots into the path of said jack raise cam, and selectively pulsed electromagnetic means thereafter acting upon said jacks below their fulcrums to rock selected ones of said jacks so that their butts are moved radially inwardly of said cylinder slots, said jack raise cam thereafter raising only those of said jacks which have not been so selected and rocked by said electromagnetic means, certain spaced ones of said jacks having radially extending selecting butts at a first level below their fulcrums while certain other spaced ones of said jacks have radially extending selecting butts at a second level below their fulcrums, said electromagnetic means comprising a first electromagnet acting solely upon said first level selecting butts to rock selected ones of said certain spaced jacks and also comprising a second electromagnet acting solely upon said second level selecting jack butts to rock selected ones of said certain other spaced jacks, said certain spaced jacks not having selecting butts at said second level and said certain other spaced jacks not having selecting butts at said first level. 